White Velvet Funfetti Cake

Funfetti cakes/cupcakes/cookies/whoopie pies/rice crispy treats and the likes have been popular for a little while but neither Mel or I had attempted one until now. On my hunt for the perfect vanilla cake I stumbled across a recipe for a vanilla ‘White Velvet Cake’ which I adapted for this recipe. I was pleased with how my cake turned out – apart from being in a rush to get things finished up and mucking up the levelling of the cake on the bottom, making it thinner than I had wanted. Shane, who would have me make a red velvet cake every week, really liked the taste and texture of the cake and little Maxie just thought it was cool that there were lots of colours speckled in the cake and pointed and ‘ooohhhed’ before demolishing his little piece.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla paste/extract
3 cups flour, sifted (high grade is better for cakes)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
175 grams butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup funfetti

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 and grease two 9 inch cake tins.
In a medium bowl lightly combine the egg whites, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla.
In a your mixer bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds
to blend.
Add the butter and remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low speed until the dry
ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer)
and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the
sides. Your batter will look more like a dough at this stage but don’t be too concerned.
Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each
addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the
sides.
Add funfetti and mix on a slow speed for a further 20 seconds to make sure you get even distribution.
Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted near the centre
comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the middle.
The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven.
Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula and removing them from pans to cool on racks further.
Once completely cooled you can frost and decorate as you desire – I put vanilla buttercream in between the cake and on top and then sprinkled with more funfetti to complete the look.

Vanilla Buttercream:
125 grams butter, softened
3-4 cups icing sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons hot water (or milk if you prefer)
1 teaspoon vanilla paste/extract

Beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Begin adding icing sugar one cup at a time, adding water/milk to loosen the mix and keep it spreadable. Add vanilla paste.
Once your buttercream has reached a consistency you are happy with remove and spread.

This fun cake is perfect for birthday parties,to brighten up a wintery day or simply to put a smile on the dial of your loved ones. Enjoy!

P.S. How gorgeous is the plate the cake is on?! Mel gave it to me, it is part of a gorgeous trio she gave me when she stayed last weekend. I LOVE it! xx